House OKs Bill That Restricts Police Crossing Town Borders

HARTFORD — The state House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday that prevents police from crossing town lines to enforce local ordinances or municipal codes.

The bill stemmed from an incident in February 2014 involving former major league baseball player and ESPN analyst Doug Glanville.

Glanville, who lives in Hartford, was questioned by a West Hartford police officer while he was shoveling snow in his driveway. The West Hartford officer had been investigating an incident in West Hartford and had gone into Hartford's West End in what neighbors say is a fairly common practice of police crossing municipal lines.

The West Hartford officer was investigating reports of a man who had been shoveling driveways in West Hartford, violating an ordinance that prevents door-to-door solicitation without a permit. The suspect had been described as an African American man in his 40s who was carrying a snow shovel and wearing a brown jacket.

Glanville that day was wearing a black jacket as he shoveled snow in front of his house in Hartford, within walking distance of the West Hartford town line.

The officer approached Glanville and asked: "So, you trying to make a few extra bucks, shoveling people's driveways around here?''

HARTFORD — For Doug Glanville, an ESPN analyst and former Major League Baseball player, the act of shoveling his driveway last winter sparked a national conversation on policing and race relations.

Glanville testified Monday during a public hearing on a bill drafted by Rep. Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford,...

HARTFORD — For Doug Glanville, an ESPN analyst and former Major League Baseball player, the act of shoveling his driveway last winter sparked a national conversation on policing and race relations.

Glanville testified Monday during a public hearing on a bill drafted by Rep. Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford,...

(SUZANNE CARLSON)

The issue became national news in April 2014 when Glanville, who appears regularly on TV, wrote an article in The Atlantic titled, "I Was Racially Profiled in My Own Driveway."

The measure approved by the House on Tuesday would have prevented the West Hartford officer from crossing the town line in the Glanville case. It passed 109-38, with four members absent. Two Democrats joined with 36 Republicans in voting against the bill.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford, who described Glanville as "a neighbor of mine and a friend.'' The West Hartford police officer came into Hartford with "no warrant, not in pursuit,'' Ritter said. "Nothing criminal occurred.''

I can't tell whether Doug Glanville is overreacting or my standards have been beaten down over time.

Glanville is a former major league baseball player and now an analyst at ESPN. I've been following him since 2012 when he started writing regularly for the New York Times. He's smart and interesting....

(Colin McEnroe)

"When we see something that should not happen in 2014 or 2015, we should respond,'' Ritter said. "If someone robs a CVS in one town and is pursuing them into another town — this bill has nothing to do with that. … The ordinance was for door-to-door solicitation."

Some legislators, both Republican and Democrat, questioned whether the bill would effectively handcuff police and create a "chilling effect'' as they try to enforce laws.

Rep. Joseph Verrengia, a retired West Hartford police officer who opposed the bill, said, "What I'm concerned about is oftentimes police, on some of the simplest and most minor infractions, come across people [wanted] for a more serious charge." He said he opposed the bill because he doesn't believe that the measure will make people safer.

Rep. J.P. Sredzinski, a Monroe Republican who works as a police dispatching supervisor, said he was concerned that police officers might be "second-guessing themselves'' when doing their jobs because of the bill.

Rep. Dan Carter, a Bethel Republican who opposed the bill, said, "The minute they cross that town line, we can't touch him. … I kind of have an issue with that. ... In some places, ordinances are very important.''

The bill, which still requires approval by the Senate and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, does not apply to state troopers, who routinely cross town lines in the course of their jobs.

Ritter said he was hoping to "highlight the problem'' of similar incidents. "Too often, we have conflict over minor things, and they escalate very, very quickly,'' Ritter said. "Door-to-door solicitation? We don't need to be sending people across town lines for that. … I just want to clarify state law.''

The House also voted Tuesday to extend the boundaries of the Capital City Economic Development District to portions of East Hartford, which would allow for housing and commercial development near Goodwin College.

The measure passed 115-31 with five members absent, after Republicans raised questions about spending additional tax money in tough economic times. Rep. Philip Miller, D-Essex, said the new baseball stadium along I-84 for the Hartford Yard Goats is already within the district, and the bill was not specifically written to help the stadium. Instead, he said it was designed to help increase development in East Hartford.

Rep. Gail Lavielle, R-Wilton, said that "with our very grave and dire budget situation ... projects that may not be essential at this time'' should not be funded.